Boost your confidence for the Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam. Test with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare for your future!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


The outer ear consists of which two main components?

  1. Cochlea and auditory canal

  2. Auricle and auditory canal

  3. Eardrum and auricle

  4. Pinna and cochlea

The correct answer is: Auricle and auditory canal

The outer ear is primarily made up of the auricle, also known as the pinna, and the auditory canal. The auricle is the visible outer part of the ear that collects sound waves and directs them into the auditory canal. The auditory canal is the passage that leads from the outer ear to the eardrum, facilitating the movement of sound waves to the inner structures of the ear. The cochlea, found in the inner ear, is responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals, while the eardrum acts as a barrier between the outer ear and the middle ear but is not classified as part of the outer ear itself. This distinction is crucial for understanding the anatomy of the ear and how sound is processed. Thus, the combination of the auricle and the auditory canal accurately represents the two main components of the outer ear.